Articles by Delthia Ricks
Medical Xpress / Lifting the invisibility cloak: Scientists devise new way to eliminate cancer cells' evasion of immune system
There's no question that tumor cells are notoriously skilled masters of immune disguise and, in many ways, real-life versions of what it's like hiding under the fictional invisibility cloak highlighted in the Harry Potter ...
Medical Xpress / Scientists reverse Alzheimer's plaque formation in animal models by boosting activity of key ion channel
Losing the activity of a key ion channel in the brain may contribute to the buildup of a devastating and toxic protein responsible for the clumps of plaque that accumulate in Alzheimer's disease, a team of neurobiologists ...
Medical Xpress / Turncoat T cells underlie assault on small intestine amid gluten-induced chaos of celiac disease
Wheat, barley and rye contain a protein that can produce severe intestinal symptoms in people with celiac disease, and a team of scientists at Columbia University in New York has now identified distinct signatures of immune ...
Medical Xpress / Study: The human body may possess a secret weapon against SARS-CoV-2
An obscure class of molecules, part of the vast system that helps the human body distinguish "self" from "non-self," may also hold the key to stopping SARS-CoV-2 from commandeering healthy cells, scientists have found in ...
Medical Xpress / Study: Booster dose of mRNA COVID vaccine prompts strong T cell response in immunocompromised patients
People with an impaired immune system can achieve a relatively robust response against SARS-CoV-2 if they get a booster shot, scientists in Sweden have found in a clinical trial that administered extra mRNA shots to patients ...
Medical Xpress / Two experimental malaria vaccines show promise, with one slowing replication of active parasites in the bloodstream
Two experimental malaria vaccines are not only safe for humans, one of those immunizations prompted a slowing of the malaria parasite's replication in the bloodstream of clinical trial participants, scientists have found ...
Medical Xpress / Spatial positioning of enzyme helps natural killer cells distinguish healthy cells from diseased ones marked for death
Questions abound when it comes to the molecular mechanisms deployed by the human immune system to thwart cancer and infection, and questions especially abound when it comes to the precise steps taken by the innate immune ...
Medical Xpress / Experimental monoclonal antibodies can coax aggressive prostate and breast cancers into submission, finds research
Therapeutic antibodies that cause aggressive tumors to become susceptible to treatment are being studied with the hope of one day changing the fate of patients who either relapse soon after cancer therapy or whose stubborn ...
Medical Xpress / Global team of scientists discovers why herpes simplex encephalitis is so devastating in some babies and children
Defects in a single protein involved in cell death may impair the immune system's ability to combat a herpes viral infection in the central nervous system, scientists have found in new research that examines a pediatric infection ...
Medical Xpress / Sleep deprivation is a risk factor for Alzheimer's, say scientists who turned to animal models to find out why
Scientists have long explored the link between disturbances in sleep patterns and neurodegenerative diseases. Powerful evidence has emerged in recent years linking disrupted sleep to Parkinson's, and a massive body of research ...
Medical Xpress / The hunt is on for the telltale biomarker revealing precise degree of protection conferred by Moderna's mRNA vaccine
A new analysis is shedding light on antibody measurements that can help predict the protective capabilities of the Moderna mRNA vaccine for COVID-19.
Medical Xpress / Whether causing the common cold or COVID-19, coronaviruses deploy key enzymes to elude human immune response
The entire family of coronaviruses is equipped with multiple methods of evading the human immune system, and two new studies have taken a deep dive into how these viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, leverage highly specialized ...
Medical Xpress / Tiny protein apparently produces titanic impact in the lungs when encountering bacterial pneumonia
In the ongoing quest to discover which constituents of the immune system provide highly specified protection, scientists have found that a component of the innate immune system is endowed with the capability of guarding the ...
Medical Xpress / Killing is their job: Two studies analyze natural killer cells as they tackle the worst form of malaria
Scientists are unraveling the complex mystery underlying how the immune system mounts a potent defense against one of the world's most relentless killers—the deadly parasites that cause the worst form of malaria.
Medical Xpress / Tumor-infiltrating T cells may be markers to predict patients' responses to cancer immunotherapy
New insights into a population of tumor-infiltrating T cells may ultimately allow doctors to predict how patients will respond to checkpoint blockade immunotherapy, a form of cancer treatment with advantages that doctors ...
